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THE 



Hiester Homestead 



in Germany 



A Paper Read Before the 

Historical Society of Berks County 

By Request of the Council of the Society 

March 12, 1907 

BY 

ISAAC HIESTER 



Reading, Penna. 
1907 



Gift 
Autkor 
(PerMii) 

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THE 

HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

IN GERMANY. 

In the early settlement of that part of Penn- 
sylvania which is now included within the limits 
of Berks County a large portion of the population 
was drawn from those parts of (Germany bordering 
on or near the river Rhine. A description of a 
neighborhood and homestead from which some of 
those persons emigrated therefore may be valuable 
because typical of others and thus having a personal 
interest for many of our people. Moreover, such a 
description may be useful in stimulating other per- 
sons to investigations like those which have proved 
so interesting in this case. 

The Hiester family in America is descended 
from three brothers. John, the eldest, emigrated 
in 1732 and was followed in 1737 by Joseph and 
Daniel who sailed in that year in the ship St. 
Andrew from Rotterdam. The family records in 
Daniel Hiester's prayer book describe the three 
brothers as sons of John and Catharine Hiester 
and their birthplace as the village (dorf) of Elsoff 
in the county (graftschaft) of Wittgenstein, in the 
province of Westphalia. 

Westphalia is one of the western provinces of 
Prussia near to but not borderintr on nor traversed 



2 THE HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

by the Rhine and it is quite probable tliat the 
course of the emigrants was tirst to the Rhine and 
down that river to Rotterdam where they em- 
barked for America. Wittgenstein is situated in 
the extreme southeastern corner of Westphalia 
adjoining the provinces of Hessen and Nassau and 
is on the high altitude of the slope of a pictur- 
esque chain of mountains called Rothhaargebirge 
which forms the watershed dividing the sources 
of the Lenne flowing westward into the Rhine 
from the sources of the Eder flowing eastward 
into the Weser. The ancient Schloss of Wittgen- 
stein is in the southern part of the county in the 
suburbs of the town of Laasphe and was formerly 
the depository of the records of the county but 
the town of Berleburg further to the nortli and 
the seat of the prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein- Berle- 
burg now has the records relating to that portion 
of the county in which Elsoff is situated. 

The railroad connecting Marburg with Kreuz- 
thal near Siegen on which only local trains and 
second, third, and fourth class cars are run connects 
at Erndtebruck with a branch road terminating at 
Raumland. From this point the traveler completes 
his journey to Berleburg in a mail coach of the 
familiar bright yellow color of the Kaiserliche Post 
with a coachman in regulation uniform who wears 
a high feather in his hat and who announces his 
approach to the waiting villagers by blowing a 
curved brass horn, 

Berleburg, the capital of this part of the county, 
is a town of about 2000 inhabitants situated in the 
picturesque valley of the Eder. The most im- 
portant feature of the place is the Schloss of the 



IN GERMANY. 



prince of Say n -Wittgenstein -BerleburL^, built on 
hiirh irroLind above the town. The Schloss was 
originally erected in 1585 as appears by the date on 
a stone bearing the family coat of arms placed over 
the entrance of the gateway of the outer walls and 
is imposing and extensive with numerous wings, 
towers and outbuildings. It contains a museum 
and a library of interesting and valuable manu- 
scripts. It evidently has been frequently renovated 
and modernized and appears to be, as it doubtless 
is, the comfortable home of a cultivated and refined 
family whose presence in the Schloss is indicated 
in royal fashion by the floating of a fiag over the 
central portion of the Schloss. The park imme- 
diately adjacent and belonging to the Schloss covers 
possibly thirty or forty acres and romantically 
descends to and crosses a little stream which feeds 
a lake within the grounds. The park is well 
wooded and tastefully embellished with shrubbery 
ani flowers and is kept in excellent condition. It is 
open to the public during certain hours every day. 
A drive of about twelve miles from Berleburg 
over the excellent roads of the German Empire 
through a well-cultivated and well-watered country 
takes the traveler first past extensive slate quarries, 
then through quaint little villages peopled by the 
peasants who toil in the fertile valley of the Eder, 
and after passing several toll gates finally climbs 
the mountains from the top of which Elsofi^, a 
village of six hundred inhabitants, may be seen 
nestling in the heart of the surrounding hills. The 
view from the top of the ridge before descending 
the mountains to reach the village by a road which 
almost returns upon itself to make the descent 



4 THE HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

discloses a collection of about a hundred houses 
closely grouped with the handsome school house 
on a hii^h point on the farther side of the villas^e 
and the spire of the church gracefully rising in 
the background constituting a most attractive and 
beautiful picture. 

The old church with the spire at one end and 
a recessed chancel at the other is supposed to date, 
at least in some of its parts, from about the year 
1000. The form of the chancel clearly indicates 
that it existed in pre-Reformation times. In other 
respects the form and furnishings of the church are 
not different from those of our Reformed churches 
except for the presence of two candles on the altar. 
A stone in the middle of the aisle near the entrance 
to the sanctuary marks the graxe of a former pastor 
of the church who died in 1669. The churchyard 
surrounding the church building is well filled with 
graves, most of them unmarked, and of the few 
stones, as far as observed, none record a death earlier 
than 1849. On one side of the churchyard is the 
recently constructed parsonage where Pastor 
Langhoff and his hospitable wife extended the 
writer a most warm welcome in a charmino- home 
replete with every evidence of comfort and 
refinement. 

The most interesting feature in connection with 
the church, of course, was the official records of 
baptisms, marriages, and burials. These as well as 
the account books of the church have been preserved 
complete from 1649 and are in the possession of the 
pastor. 

The early books, as might be expected, are well 
worn and the ink has turned brown and as the 



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IN GERMANY. 5 

entries are in German script not always easily 
legible and are arranged in chronological order 
without an\ index their examination is not easy. It 
was, therefore, with much satisfaction that without 
a very long search the following record was found 
of the baptism of John, the eldest brother, who was 
the father of Governor Joseph Hiester : 

P^lsoff dtn 8. Januar ao. 170S hat Joliann Jost Hiister Anna 
Katharina P^heleut ein Sohnlein tauten lassen. Dessen Gevattern 
sind (jewesen Johannes Closs, der Mutter lediger Bruder und 
Anna Barbara, jost Hilster's ehl. 'lochter. Das Kind is Johannes 
genannt vvorden. 

— which translated is as follows : 

Elsoff, the 8th of January, 1708, John Jost Hiister — Anna 
Katharine, married people, iiad a son baptized whose sponsors 
were John Closs, the mother's single brother, and Barbara, Jost 
H lister's lawful daughter. The child was named John. 

The entry is interesting as giving the maiden 
name of the ancestor's wife. 

Later followed the record of the baptism of other 
children as follows, the last being the grandfather 
of the writer's grandfather : 

ElsofT den 12. Mai ao. 1709 hat Johannes Hiister Katharina 
Eheleut zwei Kinder, Zwillinge, ein Miigdlein und ein Sohnlein 
taufen lassen. Das Magdlein ist Anna (lerdraut genannt worden 
und der Bub Johann Daniel. 

Elsolf ''^ ''^ * Mai ao. 1710 hat Johannes Hiister und 
Anna Katharina Elizabeth Eheleut ein Sohnlein taufen lassen 
■-i: '-!< -'i: ])jjs Kind ist Johann Jost genannt vvorden. 

Elsoff den 1. Marz ao. 1711 hat Jost Hiister Katharina 
Eheleut cinen junger Sohn taufen lassen. Das Kind is Matheus 
genannt worden. 

Elsoff den 7. Eebruar ao. 1712 hat Jost Hiister Anna Kath- 
arina Eheleut ein Tochterlein taufen lassen ''^ * '^' Das Kind 
ist Anna Katharina genannt worden 



6 THE HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

Elsoff den 7. Januar ao. 1713 hat Johannes Huster und Anna 
Katharina Eheleut einen Sohnlein taufen lassen. Dessen (}evatter 
ist gewesen Johannes Daniel, der Mutter noch ledi<j;er Gesell. 
Das Kind ist Johannes Daniel genannt worden. 

which translated are as follows : 

Elsoff, 12 May, 1709, John Huster— Katharine, married people, 
had two children, twins, a young son and a young daughter, 
baptized, the girl was named Anna Gertrude and the boy John 
Daniel. 

Elsoff. '^' ''' ''' May, 1710, John Huster and Anna Kath- 
arine Elizabeth, married people, had a son baptized. The child 
was named John Jost. 

Elsoff, 1 March, 1711, Jost Hiister— Katharine, married people, 
had a young son baptized. The child was named Matthew. 

Elsoff, 7 February, 1712, Jost Huster— Anna Katharine, mar- 
ried people, had a young daughter baptized. The child was 
named Anna Katharine. 

Elsoff, 7 January, 1713, John Hiister and Anna Katharine, 
married people, had a young son baptized whose sponsor was 
John Daniel, the mother's single brother. The child was named 
John Daniel. 

It will he ohserved tliat the orii^nnal spellinu^ of 
the name was Hiister, the " u" having an umlaut. 
As the umlaut could not he preserved in English 
and "u" without the umlaut would he differently 
pronounced it seemed expedient to the early 
members of the family in America to change the 
spelling to the present form in order as nearly as 
possible to preserve the original pronunciation. 

Elsoff appears to have had its beginning upon a 
highway which was laid out along the hanks of a 
stream about eight or ten feet wide. This stream 
therefore now winds through the centre of the town 
and the road on its hanks crossing from one side to 
the other is the main street. The streets, of varying 



IN GERMANY. 7 

widths and devious courses, average not more than 
twentv feet in width. They are usually paved with 
irregular stones, have no sidewalks, and are lined 
on either side hy the houses, harns, yards, and out- 
huikiings of the inhahitants who are chiefly occu- 
pied in tilling the neighboring lields. The houses 
are built by first erecting a framework of timbers 
a foot or two feet apart and tilling in the spaces 
between them with bricks of \'arious kinds so that 
the timbers are visible on the sides of the house. 
The furniture of the houses is of the plainest 
character and except a clock which is usually found 
in the living room there is little comfort or luxury. 
Along the cross timber over the doorway is 
generallv an inscription often running across the 
entire front of the house and mvino; the date of the 
building, the name of the owner, and sometimes a 
text or pious and reverential expression. On one of 
the houses following the inscription appears : 

Durch Gottes hilfe erbuut von Johannes Jacob Hiister und 
Christina, seine Ehefrau, und von aiich Johannes Jacob Kuhn and 
Dorothea, dessen Ehefrau, aufgerichtet 25. Mai, 1810. 

— \\'hich translated is as follows : 

Built throu<2;h the help of God by John Jacob Hi'ister and 
Christina, his wife, and also by John Jacob Kuhn and Dorothea, 
his wife. Erected 25 May, 1810. 

The house is at present occupied by Jacob 
Hi'ister Vokels, a descendant of one of the builders, 
u'ith his wife and family.''' 

* Mr. Vokels has in his possession a letter written to one of his 
family in 1(S39 by John Hiester, a grandson of Joseph, the second 
brother, from Bern Township. A portion of the letter including the 
signature is missing. The letter is interesting both because of its age 



8 THE HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

In another part of Elsoff standing about fifty 
feet back from the street is a house which forms 
with its barn and other buildings a court and 
which is said to have long been known as the 
Hiister homestead and to have been occupied by 
the family until 1834. The property now belongs 
to and is occupied by a man of the name of Alt- 
house who marrieei a woman named Marburger, 
whose mother was a Hiister. The barn by its date 

as well as because of the account which it gives of contemporary events 
and conditions. A translation of as much of it as remains is here given : 

Bern Township, Berks Co., 
State of Pennsylvania, 
August 14, 1839. 
Dear Cousin : 

I received your letter of August 6, 1S3S on October 20, 1838, and 
read it with pleasure because it came to me from an unknown cousin. 
The day on which I received your letter was one of much pleasure to 
me because Mr. Joseph Betzel and Ludvvig Betzel came from Mont- 
gomery County, thirty miles from here. They stayed all night. They 
gave me much information. They read and explained to me a letter 
from their father. 

In order, cousin, to meet your desire for information there were 
three brothers who came to America between the years 1730 and 1737. 
So much I know. The oldest, John Hiester, was the father of Governor 
Joseph Hiester. Governor Joseph Hiester left a son John. The others 
were daughters. The Governor's son had two sons, one Frederick 
Augustus lives still near the town of Reading. The eldest Joseph lives 
over a hundred miles from his father's place. My grandfather, Joseph 
Hiester, left five sons. My father John the first born had six sons, 
William the first died November 4, 1829 ; I, John am the second and 
am not married ; Daniel the third also is not married ; Joseph, the 
fourth, married and his famdy consists of one son, John Christian ; the 
fifth, with whom I lived in grandfather's house, has a family consisting 
of one son and four daughters ; Jacob the youngest of the family is 
married and has a son. We have divided our father's land. My sister 
Elizabeth is married to Jacob Gitting and her family consists of five 
children, three sons and two daughters, all of whom are married. AJy 
sister Catharine was married to David Bohn who has been dead for 
a long time. They had five children, four sons and one daughter. 
There is still one of my father's sisters living, Elizabeth. She is now 
the only one of the second Hiester who settled in America. She mar- 
ried Jacob Van Reed, who died January 11, 1839. He was 82 years 9 
months and 26 days old which is a great age for this time. Of the 
other Hiester named Daniel I will not speak this time. In my last 
letter I said as much about him as I wished. 



IN GERMANY. 9 

appears to liave been built in 1718 and the present 
house in 1792 but neither bears the name of the 
builder. In the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Alt- 
house, however, is an ancient H lister family Bible. 
This book is an immense volume containing in 
German the Old and New Testament and the 
Apocrypha and was printed in Frankfort in 1699. 
The family record was kept on the fly-leaves at the 
be^innintr of the volume. Most unfortunately the 



In your other letter you said you wished to see Mr. Muhlenberg 
and to speak as a friend and relative of the Muhlenbergs. His wife 
is the youngest daughter of Governor Joseph Hiester, who was the son 
of John Hiester, who about 100 years ago came from Elsoflf. I told 
you that you should make yourself known to him by writing a letter to 
Vienna and inviting him to visit you. Do it now before he comes 
back to America. It will perhaps not be unwelcome to him as I think 
his wife would be glad to see her grandfather's birthplace. She thinks 
much of the Hiester family. He is highly regarded wherever he is 
known. If you should write, the address is Mr. Henry Augustus 
Muhlenberg, North American Minister, in ^'ienna, Austria. If he 
comes to Elsoff then I should think one or the other of your children 
could easilv come to America. I have spoken to John S. Hiester, son 
of Go\ernor Joseph Hiester about a position. He said if they are 
accustomed to work they could get a position either with his son or 
other friends. 

To travel far over land or sea is unknown to me. New York is 
the chief city in the State of New York, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, 
Baltimore in Maryland. 

Last summer was very dry. The winter crops were pretty good. 
Wheat, rye and barley are not much grown in our neighborhood. Last 
summer oats were only fairly good. The dry weather hurt them. 
Corn and buckwheat only a half crop. Potatoes also not more. Crab 
apples were very few. 

Last October we had the usual election for Governor in Pennsyl- 
vania. The democratic candidate had 127,821 votes. The Federal 
Bank candidate, Joseph Ritner had 122,325. Majority for Porter 
5,496. The old President Andrew Jackson is for the time being well. 
Our present President Martin Van Buren is highly esteemed. Our 
Vice-President, Richard M. Johnson was an esteemed officer of the last 
war with the English and Indians. 

On January 26 there was a very heavy storm. The waters were 
very high and much damage was done. The Schuylkill Hows past 
Reading towards Philadelphia; there is a canal from Reading to Phila- 
delphia and a railroad. We live four miles from the Schuylkill and 
one mile from Tulpehocken Creek. These two streams were high and 
did much damage and the bridges were much injured. 



10 THE HIESTER HOMESTEAD 

first of these fly-leaves containing the record has 
been completely torn out with the exception of a 
narrow margin ranging in widtli from a half incli to 
an inch along the length of the page. On tlie margin 
the last word or two of each line of the original 
writing can be seen and about half way down the 
page appears the word ''America" which formed 
the ending of a line at that point. The second 
page of the record is intact and begins in 1785 with 
the family record of John Jost Hiister and Chris- 
tina, his wife. It may \'ery probably be conjectured 
that this collection of buildings was the original 
homestead or "Stammhaus" as the Elsofl"' people 
call it and that the Bible contains the record kept by 
the father of tlie three brothers who emigrated to 
America and whose departure was noted on these 
pages. 

The community dwelling in Elsofi is evidently 
a typical farming community of Germany composed 
of industrious, thrifty, and hardy people. Although 
there seem to be no wealthy persons among them, 
there are, as the pastor declares, no poor and some 
are reputed to have accumulated considerable 
property. Many of their names, such as Marburger, 
Althouse, Zacharias, Schaeffer, Gast, and others have 
a familiar sound to a resident of Berks Countv and 
the sign of Louis Kraemer looms up prominently 
over a place of business. Their German is full of 
expressions which suggest Pennsylvania German 
idioms. Taken all in all, the traveler who finds 
himself transported to a remote hamlet across the 
Atlantic whence his ancestors removed nearly two 
centuries ago has novel sensations as he walks 
amono- the mountains and along the streams and 



IN GERMANY. 11 

even in tlie very buildings wliere they lived and 
worked and worshipped and hears the present 
dwellers there, some of whom are undoubtedly his 
kindred, using the same dialect and callinir their 
acquaintances by the same family names which 
from his birth he has been accustomed to hear in 
his western world. 

From an historical point of view a visit to El- 
soff is most valuable and edifying. The lapse of 
two centuries has made little change and the visitor 
gains an impression of the appearance and condi- 
tions of the place as they existed in detail when 
the Hiester brothers emigrated. The situation and 
size of the little town, the character, location, and 
number of buildings, the furniture of the houses, 
the dress, language, and occupation of the inhabi- 
tants, are exhibited as they were in those days. The 
scenes from which the early emigrants departed to 
try their fortunes and bear their part in the 
building up of the new country are really present 
to the eye of the modern traveler. The new 
country to which the emigrants came in the course 
of its development has been so changed from the 
state in which they found it that imagination only 
can paint it but the town which they left stands 
to -day as it stood then, a finished picture of that 
era untouched by the energy of modern life. 



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